New Delhi: The game of cricket has evolved rapidly in the recent year. Since the advent of T20 format, the classic style of play has more or less been junked, if not rejected. However, the many new and innovative styles have been limited to batting, like scoop, switch hit.

UP left-arm spinner Shiva Singh. (Pic credit: ICC/Getty Images)

The bowling department hasn’t seen much of changes, except for making corrections to line and length of ball delivery. Except, we found a new action which is, safer to say, 360 degree.

A video of UP left-arm spinner Shiva Singh has gone viral, where he is seen rotating 360 degrees in his run-up, before delivering the ball. Weird? The umpire thought so too and declared the delivery as dead ball.

The incident occurred on the third day of a CK Nayudu Trophy, four-day domestic tournament for India’s Under-23 state teams, match between Bengal and Uttar Pradesh in Kalyani, on the outskirts of Kolkata.

According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, during Bengal’s second innings, UP left-arm spinner Shiva Singh – a member of India’s victorious team at this year’s Under-19 World Cup – jogged in and completed a 360-degree turn before delivering the ball. Umpire Vinod Seshan promptly signalled dead ball, to the bemusement of Shiva and the UP fielders.

Watch the video here

This led to the game coming to a brief halt as Seshan discussed the incident with his on-field partner Ravi Shankar before telling Shiva and UP captain Shivam Chaudhary that a repeat offence would force the umpires to continue deeming the balls as ‘dead’.

Shiva defends his action

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo after the incident, Shiva said he felt his action was perfectly fine and could be compared to a switch-hit of a batsman.

“I delivered this 360-degree ball against Kerala in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well, where it was fine. Batsman always go for the reverse-sweep or the switch-hit against bowlers. But when bowlers do something like this it’s deemed a dead ball,” he said.

Shiva’s action unfair, umpire Simon Taufel

Former Elite Panel umpire Simon Taufel said Shiva’s action was ‘unfair’ because of the ‘intent’. “The intent of the reverse action is different. One is necessary to play the shot, the other is not in order to maintain the same mode of delivery,” Taufel told cricketnext. He also agreed with the on-field umpire’s call.

The umpire is entitled to call and signal dead ball under Law 20.4.2.1 (unfair play) or 20.4.2.7 (deliberate attempt to distract/deceive/obstruct), he said.